ABSTRACT
The alarming rates and pervasiveness of suicidal and self-destructive behaviors (e.g., non-suicidal self-injury) among young sexual minorities represent a major public health concern. We set out to examine whether an empirically driven treatment for suicide and self-harm, dialectical behavior therapy for adolescents (DBT-A), provides benefits for adolescents who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or questioning (LGBQ). LGBQ adolescents (n = 16) were compared with non-LGBQ peers (n = 23). Psychological measures were collected before and after participation in a comprehensive DBT-A program. LGBQ participants demonstrated significant improvements in emotion regulation, depression, borderline symptoms, and coping strategies; changes were comparable to their heterosexual peers.
Subject(s)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy , Self-Injurious Behavior , Sexual and Gender Minorities , Suicide Prevention , Suicide , Adolescent , Behavior Therapy , Female , Humans , Self-Injurious Behavior/psychology , Self-Injurious Behavior/therapy , Sexual Behavior , Suicidal Ideation , Suicide/psychologySubject(s)
Child Psychiatry/economics , Financing, Government , Health Services Accessibility/economics , Health Workforce/economics , Medically Underserved Area , Mental Health Services/economics , Child , Child Psychiatry/organization & administration , Federal Government , Health Services Accessibility/organization & administration , Health Workforce/organization & administration , Humans , Mental Health Services/organization & administration , Mental Health Services/supply & distribution , Pediatrics/economics , Pediatrics/organization & administration , Primary Health Care/economics , Primary Health Care/organization & administration , State Government , United StatesABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to understand the impact of community-level stressors (particularly violence), coping strategies, and resources to prevent exposure to violence or to mitigate its effects in an inner-city community. Parents and children participated in focus groups, and children also completed standardized instruments. In the focus groups, parents and children identified several areas of concern related to "helpers," schools, community safety, and emotional distress. They identified protective resources including intensive monitoring and social supports. Fifty percent of the children met criteria for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and another 21% met criteria for partial PTSD. The mental health issues in children living with ongoing community violence necessitate that researchers use a qualitative approach to inform future interventions.
